Glossary of Spiritual and Religious Words

V

Vaivasvata Manu

From The Secret Doctrine by H. P. Blavatsky: “In one case it has reference to that mystery when mankind was saved from utter destruction, by the mortal woman being made the receptacle of the human seed at the end of the Third Race, and in the other to the real and historical Atlantean submersion. In both cases the “Host” — or the Manu which saved the seed — is called Vaivasvata Manu. Hence the diversity between the Puranic and other versions; while in the Sathapatha Brahmana, Vaivasvata produces a daughter and begets from her the race of Manu; which is a reference to the first human Manushyas, who had to create women by will (Kriyasakti), before they were naturally born from the hermaphrodites as an independent sex, and who were, therefore, regarded as their creator’s daughters. The Purânic accounts make of her (Ida or Ila) the wife of Budha (Wisdom), the latter version referring to the events of the Atlantean flood, when Vaivasvata, the great Sage on Earth, saved the Fifth Root-race from being destroyed along with the remnants of the Fourth. This is shown very clearly in the Bhagavad Gitâ, where Krishna is made to say: — “The Seven great Rishis, the four preceding Manus, partaking of my essence, were born from my mind: from them sprung (were born) the human races and the world.” (Chapter X., verse 6). Here the four preceding “Manus,” out of the seven, are the four Races which have already lived, since Krishna belongs to the Fifth Race, his death having inaugurated the Kali Yuga. Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Surya (the Sun), and the saviour of our Race, is connected with the Seed of Life, both physically and spiritually.”